My journey to Islam is similar to many. I was raised a Muslim and my family moved to the United States when I was 15. In a matter of a few years I managed not only to lose my religion as a result of company and environment but also developed a skeptical attitude towards religion especially after a couple of philosophy courses.

I believe my journey back to deen was divine intervention. It was in New York that I began exploring what Islam meant to me at the age of 19. New York is an incredible place. It’s probably one of the most diverse cities on the planet. I was exposed to a diversity of groups all claiming to represent Sunni Islam.As I would start sitting in study circles of one group, over time I would get to hear about the deviations of the ‘other’ group that is literally down the street. I would learn about how lost, confused, misguided or even dangerous to my own salvation they are. For better or for worse, I developed a pattern of learning. Every time I heard about a deviant sect or group (in the eyes of the people I would be taking from), I would make it a point to go and speak with the ‘deviants’ and learn what they had to say in order to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth. Looking back I realize that was a dangerous thing to do at that age I was but that was the approach I took to come back to Islam in the first place.I wouldn’t have considered turning back to deen unless I had some degree of open mindedness in me. I couldn’t just turn that part of myself off. I had to consider what was being said for myself. After studying some Arabic and being exposed to several schools of thought ranging from the ultra-traditional, movement oriented, literalist, western academic to name a few, I came to certain conclusions about my religion that I still hold dear. In this brief article I want to share those with you.

That main stream Islam as is manifest today is not a monolithic thing. Pretending that it is amounts to a denial of reality. Muslim thought varies on some core issues within that spectrum but there is also a tremendous amount of agreement.

That I will remain true to myself, loyal to my Messenger salallahu alaihi wasallam and sincere to my Master to the best of my ability. As a result I will disagree with ideas, theories and verdicts respectfully even if they are coming from sources whose judgment in other matters I find sound if in my conscience I cannot reconcile them with the Islam I continue to learn and love.

That I will not voice my personal disagreements in the public sphere because no benefit comes from it. I’ve been around debates, daleel battles and name calling long enough to distinguish all of that from pointless bickering.

That I will voice my disagreements in private settings with the scholars and intellectuals who hold those views not to debate but to better understand the basis for their positions. That I will remain completely open to the possibility that I may have been wrong in my own assumptions about that particular issue.

That I will take my Qur’an studies very seriously throughout life and will respect both classical and contemporary scholarship on the Qur’an even if I find things stated that are unsubstantiated (based on my limited knowledge). I will not dismiss an author because he/she says something on a particular issue I completely disagree with. I will continue to benefit from such an author while maintaining my respectful disagreement on whatever that issue may be.

That I will seek counsel of multiple scholars on difficult tafseer issues before holding an opinion.

That I will not be moved by the ideological labels and boxes that so many Muslims have become obsessed with today. That I will refuse to reduce people to labels. I will fully endorse truths that are being said regardless of who is saying them.

That I will not be intimidated by the allegation that agreeing with one statement someone makes is tantamount to me agreeing with everything that individual has to say on any issue; that somehow agreeing with someone on one issue is a blanket endorsement of them.

That my own life is very short and I will spend whatever little energies I have spreading and sharing what I believe to be good and not exhaust my energies refuting ideas of other Muslims even if I completely disagree with them. I won’t do so because I believe a sound education in the Qur’an and Sunnah will automatically diminish the significance of those fringe ideologies. The extremes in any religion feed on conflict and attention. I won’t be duped into thinking that somehow I’m ‘forbidding the evil’ while all I’m really doing is perpetuating an endless debate that produces no tangible good in my life or anybody else’s.

That I will acknowledge good qualities and contributions of Islamic efforts even if at a grand scale I don’t agree with the strategy or vision they may have adopted.

That outside of the authentic noble hadith traditions that speak of good manners, the merits of deeds and encouragements, I will not be citing ahadith in any of my talks. I will do so purely out of love and respect for the hadith tradition. I don’t have the scholarly and academic wherewithal to know the complete context, in-depth analysis and historical discourse among the great scholars on the hadith so I think it dangerous to simply cite it. It is dangerous because conclusions from that hadith drawn by me or the common Muslim may actually contradict the Sunnah.

That the one contribution I think I can make for my own benefit, the benefit of my children and Insha’Allah other Muslims is furthering a love, appreciation and understanding of the Qur’an. I will continue to have the utmost regard for all other Islamic sciences. Because I recognize them as specializations, I will continue to rely on scholars I have had the honour of knowing personally in issues pertaining to them.

That my efforts will be driven by what I believe is the single biggest problem of the ummah today; raising children that love Allah, His Book, His Messenger SAW and the struggle to expose the beauty of this religion to humanity with their positive contributions. We are losing our youth spiritually, morally and even in terms of their identification as Muslims and it all goes back to sound parenting. My children aren’t any safer from the fitnah of our times than yours. We are all in this together and we have to help each other raise tomorrow’s ummah.

That I will not deal with issues of fiqh publically for same reasons I won’t discuss ahadith beyond my intellectual and academic capacity. It is a specialized science and you should speak with a specialist just like I do when I have a question.

I shared some of these thoughts with you because I get constantly asked ‘what’ I am. People will continue to wonder ‘what’ I am based on the lens they view me through. My own description of myself is that I’m an average Muslim who loves Allah’s Book and is trying to learn and teach whatever little he knows from it.Ustad Nouman Ali KhanFounder & CEO, Bayyinah InstituteHOTD Columnist

I fully agree with you akhi .The greatest problem is raising God fearing children.May Allah make us better parents and our children better muslims.Ameen.

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Nesreen

4/6/2013 01:19:59 am

MachaAllah it didn't fall short of my expectations of you as a dear muslim brother. I love you as a brother in islam because of the way you preach and your extensive knowledge of Quraan and the shared love of linguistic wonders of the Quran and islam. May Allah guide us all to be better muslims every day and help others be bbetter muslims and raise better muslims. Ameen

An inspiration indeed. Great work and keep doing with it. Allah is the one to reward you for all your good and pure deeds towards the Muslim Ummah.

We all love you for the sake of Allah.

JazakALLAH Khair Akhi.

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Faizan bin Suleman

4/6/2013 03:35:12 pm

We can, in sha Allah, once again rise as Ummah if we have scholars with the same thinking and mission as yours. May Allah reward you for your efforts and help you continue to be a source of inspiration for Muslim youth!

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Azam Ismail

4/6/2013 11:54:23 pm

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Inspired by your lecture.

Why and How to Learn Arabic for Comprehension of the Quran - Nouman Ali Khan

Brother I live in New York.... I want to learn arabic in order to understand quran...PLease suggest me a good way.... I can't able to leave NY anyway... suggest me how can i learn arabic here in NY... HOw About bayyinah... Jazakumullah khayran.

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Nadine

7/12/2015 07:38:24 pm

Salam brother. Apply for bayyinah.tv. NAK just put on a 10 days reading challenges series up where he teaches an american couple reading arabic. SubHanAllah it works!! Just did the 10 days challenge and i'm reading Quran. It is so amazing. alhamdulilah. My Allah reward NAK and this Amazing team.

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Maleeha Cheema

5/29/2013 01:29:01 am

aa.

May Allah SWT increase your efforts manifold and also give me the ability and consistency to follow in all that is right and true about islam. I have mashaAllah four kids, one is 7, one is 5, one is 2 and one is 1, and the thing which perplexes me is how to formulate a sound plan for their tarbiyat, from infancy till adulthood. I would really appreciate if you could share with me any plan that you have made for your kids. I listened to your talks about raising muslim kids right. i forget the titile.

Go to http://www.bayyinah.tv there brother NAK has done series on 'Parenting and Quranic Guidance'

[p.s. we are just volunteers]

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Mujeeb

5/13/2014 05:44:49 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSYQE0HMyHk

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safiyyah

6/4/2013 04:27:50 am

I was bordering on atheism (nauzubillah) when I started following brother NAK's lectures on youtube and bayyinah.com. Allah has pulled me out of it from you, MasyaAllah. Thank you so much.

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Siti Asma

6/10/2013 01:00:56 pm

Salam Bro Nouman,

Please come to KL Malaysia for a talk. I am looking forward for it. And please open bayyinah here in KL. it is my dream to send my son to learn quran from your team. and me n husband also would love to join your class. TQ and salam.

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kehkashan najmi

10/31/2013 05:01:47 am

Excellent work ,JazakAllah khairan kaseera!

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Kamaruzaman Gaffar

1/16/2014 08:52:19 pm

Salam Ustaz Nouman Ali Khan.

Your works motivate many.
You are an inspirational to us on your linguistiic knowledge about Al Quran.
Keep up your good work and the spread of Islam to others.
May Allah bless you and family.

Kamaruzaman (Singapore)

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Hamid

5/13/2014 05:06:31 am

jazak Allahu khairan for authoring it and giving us a peak into your way of thinking.
Have benefitted tremendously from you and tried to follow your methodology in teaching youth in my local communities - it does resonate with them because their main challenge is to become firm in their commitment to deen (they are barely clinging to it).
May Allah preserve you and multiply your deeds, Ameen.

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Sabry Muhammad

5/13/2014 05:20:35 am

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabarakaathuhu Usthad,First of all I am honestly saying You are my first ROLE MODEL.My aim is to become a Quranic Scholar.I have completed my usuludeen BA degree @JAMIA NALEEMIAH in SRI LANKA.since I finished my degree I started following ur updates on Facebook,Youtube,website.I took all your dream notes and I m studying it my self and teaching those lessons in my city in Sri Lanka.Now when I see ur article about your journey to islam,I m so happy masha Allah.I really proud to say you as my Usthad.I dint meet you yet but I still learning from you(youtube).May Allah give me a chance to meet you Usthaad.May Allah accept ur good deeds.

Assalaamu'alaikum brother Nouman, excellent work jazakAllah khair..like all of ur lectures and thank you for all video shared with us..there is so much to learn from it..I pray that ALLAH blesses all of us to recite Quran..Ameen

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Babur Jafri

5/13/2014 06:53:37 am

Aoa! Brother that's what I love about you and that's what pulls my heart towards you. Your openness! You don't judge ppl or their sects. You know your limitations and you talk about the message and the love hidden in the Quran. Anything or anyone that makes me closer to Allah SWT is entitled to my respect. I respect you, I honor you and I m obliged to you for making me realize the beauty of the Quran in ways I was unaware of before. Jazakallah khair ya akhi. Allah SWT hum sb ka khatima Iman per fermaai, Ameen!

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Ahsan

5/13/2014 07:31:40 am

I have been going through the exact same process in the last few years. Seeing all the blood and gore, the divide in the people in my country, and the increased awareness from Allah in the last few years, I had come to the conclusion that I have to read the Quran for myself in a language I can understand, that I have to know this for myself to distinguish opinion from fact.

And I am glad I did. All thanks to Allah. His doing always has a purpose. Through all the bad events around me, He has guided me to a better future. I.A.

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mila meris de vera

5/13/2014 11:01:29 am

Assalamu alaikum.

You're a very good example of a muslim. May Allah bless and reward all of us.

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Muhammad Ali Shah

5/13/2014 11:03:32 am

jazakALLAH khair br may ALLAH swt inrease your knowledge the best written material i came across. no sects just bring people to deen eventually they will come to the true path mashahALLAH v less understands it. thankyou it helped me alot alhamdulilah may ALLAH swt guide us all i appreciate your work

Janab Nouman Sahib,
Assalamialaikum, I was very tense one day and kept asking Allah swt why me...and your video I came across since then I have changed, so is my life....Please start some institute in India..our kids want real guidance..I have followed Dr.Zakir Nayak...but somewhere something is a miss..which after listening to your lectures I could understand better as they are close to our lives...Thank you.

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Syed Luqman Faraz

5/13/2014 03:33:48 pm

I love you brother. This should be one of the most read mission statements of a Muslim's character. SubhanAllah for inspiring you to write such remarkable words..

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Yusuf

5/13/2014 04:28:10 pm

Ustath NAK,

your points are beautiful. Just beuatiful. You ve got a clear mind, clear purpose of life and clear means of attaining these goals. May Allah save the protectors of true Islam

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Muhammad

5/13/2014 05:33:35 pm

Even If I don`t see the Ummah in a state I would like it to be in my lifetime,I am glad that I have at least done something to improve it.

Yasir Qadhi

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Muhammad Nazif

5/13/2014 11:37:06 pm

May Allaah azza wa jal continue to increase you in knowledge. By the way I love your command over the Quran diction.

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ABU YASSER

5/14/2014 12:51:22 am

A motivation and inspirational piece of writing./.All i have to say is JazakAllah Khayran Ustad Nu'man..

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Muhammed Azan

5/14/2014 01:34:23 am

Simply love your lectures :) Masha Allah may Allah reward you for everything!!! :) :D
Your article must have answered a lot of people who try to label Muslims as this and that!!!

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Mirza

5/14/2014 05:47:00 am

May Allah help you achieve these noble goals. Ameen

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Khairul Anwar bin Mohd. Din

5/16/2014 04:00:01 am

I pray that Allah will make you not as an average muslim.. but that he put you among the prophet.. i know that is a thing which is not easy to get.. nevertheless i will still pray that..

Ya Allah, please make Nouman Ali Khan and his families among those who are near to you..

Assalamualaikum,
Thank you Brother for your openness
However, why all this confusion can’t you simply say:
That I obey Allah and His Messenger the way the Sahaba and the righteous Scholars did and I deal with people concepts and situations according to my understanding of this concept.
Fii Amani Lah

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Furqan

7/12/2015 10:49:47 pm

Assalam o Alaikum,
I would like to say thanks to you brother Nouman, may Allah protect you and help you succeed in your life goals and give you a place in Jannat ul firdous. Your videos have helped numerous people and Allah will definitely reward you for all this.

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inaayah

7/14/2015 11:54:16 am

Assalam o Alaikum
MASHAA ALLAH ur views r really gud
May ALLAH increase more of ur knowlodge ameen
JAZAAKALLAHU KHAIR
i too hav been through this who do u follow which sect which scholar ds one wrng ds one right... so much confusion has been created.. u deliever it MASHAA ALLAH by the grace of ALLAH so smoothly..

The word islam means 1)sincerity 2)surrender 3)submission 4)peace and I forgot the next meaning but it's the speciality of arabic and uve to know that if a muslim isn't having the above mentioned categories then he's not try following islam